Piano-action.



No. 759,655. PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

' A. A. BARTHELMES.

PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1903. NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 759,655. .PATENTED MAY 10, 1904.

A. A. BARTHELMES.

PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1903-.

H0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHBET2.

iii-

Patented May 10, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER AUGUST BARTHELMES, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

PIANO-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 759,655, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed July 6, 1903. Serial No. 164,332. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it kn own that I, ALEXANDER AUGUST BAR- THELMES, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Actions; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

The essential features of this invention relate particularly to improvements in the mannor of pivoting the action mechanism to the action-rail and also certain details of construction, as hereinafter particularly described.

The objects of the invention are, first, greater durability and amore perfect and reliable adjustment; secondly, to render the action unaffected by atmospheric changes and avoid the bad effect produced by the action becoming loose and rattling, and, thirdly, to provide a convenient means for readily adjusting the action when assembling or for readjusting after being assembled.

To such ends my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed, referencebeing hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, in which similar figures of reference refer to like parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a piano-action of the type known as upright actions, showing the construction and manner of pivoting the action mechanism to the action-rail. Fig. 2is' a view in detail of the action-rail in cross-section, showing the continuous metal flanges. Fig. 3 is a back view in elevation of a portion ofthe action. Fig. 1 is aview in perspective of the wippen, showing the elongated slot for the reception of the flange. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of the damper-spring block, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the continuous metal flange.

In general construction and arrangement of the parts-0f the action the usual lines are followed, with the exception of the changes necessary for the substitution of continuous metal flanges for those of wood.

In this instance the continuous metal flanges 1, 2, and 3 consist of, preferably, continuous metal plates secured to the usual action-rail 4: (in which but a slight change of form is made for the reception of the same) by screws in their respective positions and upon which is pivoted the hammer-butts 5, the damperlevers 6, and the wippens 7.

In construction the flanges 1, 2, and 3 are similar, differing only in their dimensions. Therefore it is obvious that a detail description of each individual flange is unessential, a description of one serving for all.

The continuous flange consists of an elongated strip of metal, either in sections of any desired length or one continuous strip, having as an integral part a series of projections formed by cutting away the intervening metal upon one edge only, leaving the reinainder of the flange as shown. Formed in the projections 8 is a groove 9 for the reception of the pivot-pins 10, which are held rigidly in place by the caps 11, secured to the projections 8 by machine-screws 12. To maintain the cap 11 in place, in addition to the screw 12 there is a stud-pin 13 fast in the flange and entering a slot or recess let in the inner extremity of the cap 11.

An'essential feature of this invention is the increase in the length of the projections 8. Heretofore the projections 8 terminated with the cap 11, or as near the groove 9 as was permissible, and held the pivot-pin securely. The

object of the elongating of the projections is v to enable the operator to adjust the pivoting of the action and correct any inaccuracy in the alinement of the pivots or pivoted parts of the action. This increase in the length of the projections 8 protrudes through and beyond the slots or openings fraised out of the respective parts of the action a distance suflicient to enable the operator to take hold of with a suitable instrument and bend up or down or sidewise, as may be found necessary in adjusting the action, such bending being allowed by the ductility of the metal, a result unattainable with the wood or metal flanges as in use heretofore. v

Made fast to the flange 2 by machine-screws are the additional damper lever spring blocks 15, provided with the usual pin or rod for supporting the spring 16 for holding the damper-lever 6 in place. In this instance the block 15 is shown of proportions suitable to be formed of wood; but metal may be readily substituted and secured to the flange 2 in a similar manner. To hold the block 15 rigid, in addition to the screw 17 there is a bead 18, formed, preferably, by a wire being laid in a groove cut in the upper side of the flange E2 and adapted to enter a corresponding groove in the blocks 15, as shown.

The increase in length of the projections 8 of the flange 1 may be dispensed with, for the action at this early stage, in which the hammer-butts 5 are assembled, is more convenient to get at, thus allowing of other means being employed for the purpose of correcting any inaccuracy.

A notable feature of this invention is the similarity in the manner of pivoting the hammer-butts, damper-levers, and wippens, a re sult facilitated by the means hereinbefore d escribed and a new departure, particularly in the wippens. The slot or opening 10, fraised out for the reception of the projections 8 in the respective parts, more particularly the damper-levers and wippens, permits the use of the metal flange without additional features, such as in use heretofore, and enables the said parts to be centrally pivoted, which is a desideratum.

The advantages arising from the foregoing construction and arrangement are, in addition to the great saving of screws and the facility with which the action can be assembled or the parts removed and replaced independently for the purpose of making repairs, that by substituting metal for Wood in some instances and combining metal with wood in others the bad effect of atmospheric changes on wood in the first instance is avoided and in the second reduced to a minimum.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a piano-action, the combination with an action-rail, of hammers, damper-levers, wippens and pivots for the same, flanges secured to said rail for holding said pivots and provided with a series of projections, and detachable caps adapted to hold said pivots on said projections, the said hammer-butts, damper-levers and wippens having slots or openings formed in them for the reception of the said projections and the latter being of suflicient length to extend through the aforesaid slotted parts of the action for convenience of manipulation substantially as set forth.

2. In a piano-action, the combination with a series of wippens, each having a slot or opening formed therein, of a flange having projections each provided with a detachable cap, the wippen-pivots held by said caps to said projections, each wippen having an opening or slot through the same in which the pivot is transversely set and each projection being of suflicient length to extend through the said slot or opening for convenience of manipulation substantially as set forth.

3. In a piano-action, the combination of a wippen having an opening through the same and a pivot within and across the said opening with a flange having a rigid projection grooved to receive the said pivot and a detachable cap holding the said pivot in the said groove, the said projection being of sufiicient length to extend through the said opening for convenience of manipulation substantially as set forth.

4:. In a piano-action, a piece provided with a series of integral projections, in combination with detachable caps therefor, pivots held by said caps and projections, and moving parts mounted on said pivots, these parts being provided with openings, and the said projections being of sufficient length to extend through the said openings and protrude beyond the said moving parts for convenience of manipulation substantially as set forth.

5. In a piano-action, the combination of a flange fixed on the action-rail and provided with rigid parts each adapted to hold a damper-lever pivot, with a series of dampers, damper-levers and pivots and the said action-rail, a series of damper-springs, a series of pins supported by said flange for supporting said springs, a series of hammer-levers, their pivots and the means of supporting them, the said pins for supporting the damper-springs being independent of the means for supporting the hammer-levers substantially as set forth.

Signed at Toronto this 17th day of January, 1903.

ALEXANDER AUGUST BARTHELMES.

W'itnesses:

S. R. EARLE, H. DIXON. 

